1. Field of the invention
The present invention concerns pure crystalline methyl 2-acryloylamino-2-methoxy acetate and a process for preparing it.
Methyl 2-acryloylamino-2-methoxy acetate, hereinafter termed MAGME, is a known multifunctional monomer which is currently used as a reticulant monomer.
The following methods have been proposed for its preparation:
Etherification with methanol in an acid medium of methyl acrylamidoglycolate, the latter being the product of condensation of acrylamide with methyl 2-hydroxy-2-methoxyacetate (Canadian patent 1 209 583).
Simultaneous etherification and esterification using methanol in an acid medium of acrylamidoglycolic acid crystallized with one molecule of water (European patent No. 0 020 000 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,308).
These methods, however, result in crude MAGME containing a number of impurities, in particular acrylamide, which cause problems in their subsequent use in some applications.
It has now, surprisingly, been discovered that a novel, simple process for the preparation of MAGME produces a good yield of a pure, crystalline product.